2018 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FESTIVAL #BUSINESSFEST

WHAT IS THE FESTIVAL?

Looking to grow your business? Fantastic. You’ve come to the right place

From 12 – 28 June 2018, the UK hosts the world’s biggest international business festival. Join 30,000 industry professionals and enter a world of business opportunities.

Hosting more than 40 major global events across 9 high growth sector themed days, the festival will provide you with the knowledge, market insights and vital connections you need to take your business forward.

Be inspired by success and let industry leaders show you how to turn challenges into opportunities.

Sharpen your skills and develop focused, high-performance teams.

Whether you’re exploring international market opportunities, enhancing your product offer or securing scale-up finance, the festival is an enlightening and comprehensive gateway to future business growth.

Festival at a glance

FUTURES STAGE

A dynamic and lively platform for global innovators, influencers and industry experts to share ideas and inspiration. Enthusiastically received in 2016, with keynote speakers and debates from a wide variety of global business voices. Our Futures Stage delivers the latest insights and engaging energy, providing a lively and illuminating centrepiece to our diverse Festival experience.

THE KNOWLEDGE HUB

The Festival’s Knowledge Hub will offer a broad range of how-to sessions, ignite presentations and workshops, all focused on the needs of businesses looking to scale.

Designed to support success and growth, the Knowledge Hub will focus on three core themes: Leadership and Skills, Access to Finance and Market Opportunities.

THE INNOVATION HUB

The Innovation Hub will showcase a host of pioneering projects, products and businesses, all at the forefront of their field.

This new festival element will enable visitors to experience and interact with thought leading companies, demonstrating the vision and originality to take on tomorrow’s challenges.

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

The Festival provides a natural space to grow your global networks through a variety of channels, including the Festival’s online networking platform; business to business matchmaking events; the International marketplace; meet-ups and social gatherings.

INTERNATIONALMARKETPLACE

An exciting mix of over a hundred exhibitors will showcase goods, services, projects and regional market opportunities across the festival floor.

A place for buyers, investors, businesses, researchers and academics to meet, collaborate and do business.

HOSTED EVENTS

A host of world-leading industry conferences and exciting events will make their home at the 2018 International Business Festival.

Each day will see up to six independent events take place within the Festival.

Festival in three minutes

Festival in Numbers

£600M WORTH OF NEW BUSINESS DEALS

94000 VISITS

31000 UNIQUE VISITORS

194 INTERNATIONAL MARKET DELEGATIONS

£87M WORTH OF EXPORTS SECURED

£250M OF SALES GENERATED

What they say

“I am pleased to be able to express my continued support, and the continued support of the UK Government, for the International Business Festival. In 2018, the event will provide unparalleled access to trade and investment opportunities…”

British Prime Minister, Rt Hon Theresa May MP

“I am pleased to announce my patronage of the 2018 International Business Festival and I very much look forward to seeing the event myself, in June. I trust it will be an unqualified success…”

HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge

"The Festival delivered everything it promised and more"

Frank McKenna

Downtown in Business

"We estimate both productions secured through the Festival will bring investment of between £2m and £30m over the next 3-5 years"

Michelle Billington

Foot in the Door Films

"We’ve secured 20 serious leads through the Festival that we are confident will translate into tangible deals in the near future"

Paul Horan

Cracker123

"Through the Festival we have significantly advanced our global profile, securing high-value deals with buyers in Asia, the Middle East and the Americas"

Hosted Events

Our Festival will host more than 50 major global events and conferences, in addition to our core programme. Imagine a world of business opportunity, potential connections and thousands of sector specific delegates meters away from the main event.

Effectively marketing your business means talking directly to your customers. Our unique 2018 International Business Festival attracts global buyers, across nine targeted business themes, presenting a massive opportunity to meet the decision makers who can take your business into new markets and beyond.

Festival Partners

Global Media Partner

Supporters

Become a partner

Want to talk to ambitious businesses from your target sectors? Our Festival attracts go-getting companies that are looking to grow, expand into new markets, forge strong alliances and become a greater entity tomorrow than they are today.

We have a range of bespoke and exciting partnership opportunities, Our receptive audiences are exactly the type of sharp minded businesspeople that B2B businesses want to talk to and, through the Festival, we can help them. Get in touch or read on to discover more.